LOCH-Class
Frigate ordered with seven other of this Class
from Swan Hunter at Wallsend on 13th February
1943. Only five of the were completed and two
were
converted for use as Depot Ships during build.
The three others
completed as Anti-submarine Frigates were all
sold to Commonwealth navies after the end of WW2
and
served for many years after hostilities ended.
This ship was laid down on 15th July 1943 and
launched on
20th January 1944 as the first RN ship to bear
this name. Build was completed on 2nd August
1944 and the
ship was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy
which provided the crew under
an Inter government Agreement in exchange for
ALGERINE Class minesweepers built
in Canada also manned by the RCN. This
arrangement allowed prefabricated construction
in British shipyards whilst
some
of these minesweepers
could be built in Canada. After the end of WW2 this frigate was
transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy and
renamed HMNZS TUTIRA.
G
e o g r a p h i c
D a t a
Loch
in Inverness. Grid Reference NH8609.
(Note:
The
Gaelic Name is 'Mhor Thalamic' and the Clan
associated with
this
area
is Clan Graham.)
H
e r a l d i c
D a t a
None
is recorded in the Official
List of Heraldic Crests
but
many ships named during WW2 for the first time
adopted
an unofficial Badge which has not been traced.
D
e t a i
l s o f W a r S e
r v i c e
(for more ship
information,
go
to
Naval History Homepage
and
type name in Site Search
1 9
4 4
July
Contractors
trials
17th -
Commissioned
for service in 8th Canadian Escort Group.
Commanding
Officer Lieut. Cdr. L L Foxall RCNVR.
August
Completion
of
contractors harbour trials.
2nd -
Build
completion and commenced Acceptance trials.
Final
departure from shipyard delayed by damaged caused
when ship collided with buoy. On
completion of repair and storing took passage to
Tobermory to work-up for operational service
28th -
Took
passage to join Group in Londonderry on completion
of working-up.
September
Deployed
for
convoy escort and interception patrols in Western
Approaches Command. Sustained
weather damage and withdrawn from service
for repair in London. Passage
to
commercial shipyard.
October to December
Rejoined
Group
after repair and deployed in English Channel for
convoy defence and
anti-submarine search operations. (Note:
German SCHNORKEL-fitted submarines were
carrying out attacks at focal areas
for
convoys and Atlantic traffic was using the Channel
for passage to and from east
coast ports following removal of air threat
from French bases.)
1 9
4 5
January
to March
Channel
deployment with Group in continuation. Sustained
minor damage in collision with merchant ship.
Nominated
for transfer to eastern seaboard of Canada with
Group.
April
Passage
to
Canada to resume Atlantic convoy defence.
May
Deployed
in Canadian
waters.
8th -
To be
returned to RN control. Passage
to UK.
June
Paid-off
at
Sheerness and reduced to Reserve status.
July
to December
Laid-up
at
Sheerness
1 9
4 6 t
o 1
9 4 7
Laid-up
at
Sheerness in Reserve Fleet.
1 9
4 8
Sold to
New
Zealand for £228,250 including cost of refit by HM
Dockyard, Sheerness. (Note:
Initial name chosen was WAIRARAPA, a lake in
North Island, 30 miles NE of
Wellington. Six
LOCH-Class Frigates were transferred under the
same agreement and
were
all given names of lakes in New
Zealand.)
Pennant
Number for visual signalling
purposes changed to F517.
1 9
4 9
January
to March
Under
refit at
Sheerness.
Post
refit
trials.
April
Passage
to
Chatham for formal transfer
11th -
Renamed
HMNZS TUTIRA by Lady More, wife of CinC Nore.
19th -
Commissioned
for service in Royal New Zealand Navy. Commanding
Officer Lieut. Cdr. F J Rand RN.
S e r
v i c e a s H
M N Z S T U T I R A ( F 5 17 )
G e o g
r a p h i c D a t a
Lake in
Hawke Bay area, North
Island, New Zealand.
Position
39.20S 177.00E
(Note:
Meaning of the Maori name
is A Row or File of men.
Motto:
'Tutira Upoko pipi'
– A maori proverb Tutira, the place where heads are softened or broken.
The
name TUTIRA reflects the
history of the Maori people who
inhabited
the area. After yet
another attack by their enemies had been
repulsed
they were left in peace
which gave rise to this proverb.)
B a t t
l e H o n o u r s
KOREA
1950-51
H e r a
l d i c D a t a
A
traditional Carved Maori Head
coloured red ochre.
The
eyes are made of paua shell (a type of abalone)
which
turns
white with age.
(Note:
This Badge is intended to
neatly encapsulate the
spirit
of the ship's name and
motto)
Acknowledgement:
Details
relating to the name of the ship after transfer
were provided
by the
RNZN Museum at Auckland.
May
Passage
from Chatham with sister ship HMZNS ROTOITI (Ex
HMS LOCH ACHANALT)
to
work-up with ships of the Mediterranean Fleet
based in Malta.
June
Worked-up
in Malta with HMNZS ROTOITI.
On
completion took passage with
HMNZS ROTOITI to join 11th Frigate Flotilla
in
Auckland, New Zealand.
July
Passage
in Red Sea and Indian Ocean with call at Aden.
August
Arrived
in Auckland
September
Deployed
with Flotilla for exercises and patrol in South
Pacific.
20th -
New Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr W H Brereton
RN.
October
Took
part in exercises with RAN ships at Jervis Bay and
called at
Sydney.
November
Australian
exercises and visits in continuation with calls at
Melbourne
and Hobart.
Return
passage to Auckland.
December
Deployed
for patrol in south Pacific after call at
Wellington. Visited
Campbell Island and MacQuarrie Island. Returned
to Auckland with call
in Wellington.
1 9
5 0
January
Flotilla
duties in continuation at Auckland.
February
Took
part in Flotilla exercises.
March
Deployed
for patrol with calls at Fitzroy, Napier, New
Plymouth and
Akaroa.
Took
part in Fleet exercises in Bay of Islands area.
April
Deployed
at Auckland.
May
12th -
New Commanding Officer: Lieut. Cdr P J Hoare RN. Deployed
for
Island visits and patrol with calls at Suva and
Ocean Island.
June
Patrol
and visits to Pacific islands in continuation. Called at
Tarawa, Tabiteuea, Fanfuti and Suva
29th -
During return passage to Auckland from Fiji
nominated with sister
ship HMNZS
PUKAKI
for service with United Nations naval Task Group
as part of New
Zealand
Government
response to the United Nations request for member
states to
provide
forces
to assist the South Korean Republic against the
invasion by North
Korea.
On
arrival in Auckland call made for volunteers to
serve on board during
deployment
with
other Commonwealth navies on war service based at
Sasebo.
July
Prepared
for passage to Japan..
3rd -
Sailed from Auckland with HMNZS PUKAKI for UN
service.
19th -
Arrived at Hong Kong after refuelling at Port
Moresby.
27th -
On completion of repair work, embarkation of war
storing and
exercises took
passage
from Hong Kong to Sasebo to join UN naval forces.
August
On
arrival deployed for escort of military convoys
from Japan to Pusan
on west coast
of
Korea.
September
12th -
Joined escort of military convoys taking US troops
for landings
near Inchon of west
coast
of Korea.
15th -
Detached from convoy when close escort of US Navy
warships
covered landings.
(Note:
These landings were made to support a UN Force by
interception of
North
Korean
forces being forced to retreat.)
Deployed
for patrol off Inchon
with other warships.
(Note:
Ship was replenished at sea during this duty and
was only three
days in
harbour.)
October
Patrol
duty off Inchon in continuation.
14th -
On release transferred to US Navy Task Group.
16th -
Deployed to take revised orders to landing craft
on passage to
Wosan on east coast of Korea for a planned landing.
(Note:
Landings had been delayed
due to extensive enemy mining of the area and
capture
of the port by South
Korean forces.)
18th -
After delivery or revised orders carried out
patrols off Wosan
with HMNZS
PUKAKI
until landings established. Sank floating mine.
November
to December
Return
passage to Sasebo. Redeployed in rotation with recently arrived HMNZS
ROTOITI, for control of coastal traffic in Chinampo area off west coast, North
of 38th Parallel.
Visited
Sasebo for R&R (Note: British and Commonwealth warships were based at
Sasebo but spent these periods at Kure where docking and repair facilities
were available as well as some recreational facilities for Commonwealth
personnel.).
1 9
5 1
January
Deployed
to carry out patrol to deny enemy use of coastal
waters to
reinforce troops
carrying
out an advance across border into South Korea. (Note: UN
forces were forced to withdraw from North Korean
territory and the ports of
Inchon and Chinampo were evacuated.)
February
Resumed
shipping control duties off Inchon after port was
re-occupied.
March
Deployed
as escort for South Korean Navy minesweepers near
Peng Yong
Island
off
west coast.
April
On
completion of minesweeping took passage to Kure
for short refit. Passage to
Sasebo for relief by HMNZS HAWEA which arrived on
26th.
May
Took
passage to Auckland with call at Hong Kong.
Visited
Brisbane before return
to rejoin Flotilla
30th -
Arrived at Auckland (Note: Ship had steamed 35,400 miles on this tour of
UN duty in Korea.
Captain
and two ratings were awarded a Mention in
Despatches.)
June
Deployed
with 11th Flotilla and took part in local
exercises.
July
Passage
to Australia for Fleet Exercises with RAN and
visits programme.
August
Nominated
for reduction to Reserve status.
September
Paid-off
and laid-up in Reserve at Auckland.
October to
December
Laid-up
at Auckland.
1 9
5 2
t o
1 9 6 0
Laid-up
at Auckland.
1 9
6 1
January to November
Nominated
for Disposal List. Sale
negotiations in hand.
December
Sold
for demolition by shipbreaker at Hong Kong.
1 9
6 2
Passage
under tow to Hong Kong.
Addendum
CONVOY
ESCORT MOVEMENTS
of HMS LOCH
MORLICH
by
Don Kindell
These
convoy lists have not been cross-checked with
the text above
|
|
|
|
|
Date
convoy sailed
|
Joined
convoy as escort
|
Convoy
No.
|
Left
convoy
|
Date
convoy arrived
|
|
|
|
|
|
17/11/44
|
17/11/44
|
MKS
067G
|
18/11/44
|
18/11/44
|
18/11/44
|
18/11/44
|
SL
176MK
|
24/11/44
|
24/11/44
|
17/01/45
|
18/01/45
|
OS
105KM
|
19/01/45
|
22/01/45
|
01/04/45
|
06/04/45
|
MKS
092G
|
08/04/45
|
08/04/45
|
17/04/45
|
19/04/45
|
OS
123KM
|
20/04/45
|
23/04/45
|
23/04/45
|
unknown
|
HX
352
|
unknown
|
08/05/45
|
27/04/45
|
28/04/45
|
OS
125KM
|
01/05/45
|
01/05/45
|
21/04/45
|
30/04/45
|
ONS
048
|
02/05/45
|
04/05/45
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note
on Convoys)